In her last months, Diane Keaton was continuing to surround herself with the Hollywood friends she had known for decades.
Actor Ed Begley Jr. told People on Saturday that the last time he saw the Oscar-winning actress – who died at the age of 79 on Saturday – was at a birthday party for Tinseltown icon Jack Nicholson this past April.
‘I saw her fairly recently at Jack Nicholson’s birthday party, and it was good to see her there,’ Begley, 76, said of Keaton, who shared the silver screen with Nicholson, 88, in the 2003 movie Something’s Gotta Give.
He added of Keaton: ‘She’s a wonderful actress, a wonderful lady. I played her brother in an HBO film called Running Mates with Ed Harris. So I’m glad I knew her these many years.’
Begley said he figured that Nicholson was probably floored by news of Keaton’s death, as he was.
‘She loved Jack Nicholson, as I do, and Jack loved her,’ Begley said. ‘So I don’t mean to speak for him. I’m sure he’s as devastated as I am by her loss.’
Diane Keaton was continuing to surround herself with the Hollywood friends she had known for decades. Pictured in NYC in 2023
Keaton was nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the 2004 Oscars for her performance as Erica Barry in the romantic comedy drama Something’s Gotta Give opposite Nicholson, who portrayed Harry Sanborn.
The motion picture, which was written directed by Keaton confidante Nancy Myers, featured an ensemble cast when it arrived in theaters in December of 2003.
It included Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Frances McDormand, Jon Favreau, Paul Michael Glaser and Rachel Ticotin.
Meyers described the effect Keaton had on the longtime Hollywood lothario Nicholson during production of the movie
‘We’re rehearsing that scene in the street, where he’s running after her and he calls me over after one rehearsal,’ Meyers said in a chat with Vulture in April 2018. ‘He’s all rattled.’
The filmmaker continued: ‘I said, “What’s up?” And he goes, “Diane just told me she loves me.”
‘I couldn’t tell if he was horrified or thrilled. So I was like, “Yes, I know, I wrote that line. It’s in the script, Jack.” And he said, “Oh, OK.” He thought she meant it. It’s really funny. That’s her.’
The anecdote about Nicholson came amid reports that fellow film icon Al Pacino harbored deep regret for not marrying the A-list actress (and his costar in The Godfather) when he had the opportunity during more than 16 years as a couple during their time together from 1971 to 1987.
Actor Ed Begley Jr. said on Saturday that the last time he saw the Oscar-winning actress was at a birthday party for Tinseltown icon Jack Nicholson this past April. Pictured in LA
Keaton and Begley pictured on the set of the 1992 political comedy/drama Running Mates
Begley added of Keaton: ‘She’s a wonderful actress, a wonderful lady.’ Pictured in LA last year
Begley said he figured that Nicholson, seen earlier this year at SNL50 in NYC, was probably floored by news of Keaton’s death
‘Looking back, Al admits the love of his life was Diane who he’s always called, “an amazing woman,”‘ a confidante of the Oscar-winning actor, 85, told Daily Mail Saturday. ‘I know he will forever regret he didn’t make his move when he had the chance.
‘For years after he and Diane split, Al used to say, “if it’s meant to be, it’s never too late for a do-over”. But sadly, now it is.’
The star of classics such as Annie Hall, Father of the Bride and The First Wives Club had been with loved ones when she passed, a relative told the Associated Press, and the family requested privacy. No further details have been released.
Keaton had become increasingly reclusive in the past year with one longtime friend, the songwriter Carole Bayer Sager, who remarked to People how shockingly thin Keaton had become before her shock death.
‘I saw her two or three weeks ago, and she was very thin,’ Sager, 81, recalled. ‘She had lost so much weight.’
Sager explained that Keaton had been affected by the wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles in January: ‘She had to go to Palm Springs because her house has been damaged inside and they had to clean everything.’
‘She was down there for a while, and when she came back, I was kind of stunned by how much weight she’d lost,’ the Grammy and Oscar award-winning lyricist shared.
Sager described her late friend as ‘a magic light for everyone who ‘just lit up a room with her energy,’ adding, ‘I just loved her … she was so special.’
The Something’s Gotta Give costars kissed on the red carpet at the 54th annual Berlinale International Film Festival in Berlin, Germany in February of 2004
Keaton pictured at the TCL Chinese Theatre on August 11, 2022 in Hollywood, California
Another of Keaton’s confidantes told People that the actress’ health fell off a cliff in recent months, something ‘which was heartbreaking for everyone who loved her.’
The insider added: ‘She declined very suddenly. It was so unexpected, especially for someone with such strength and spirit.’
‘In her final months, she was surrounded only by her closest family, who chose to keep things very private. Even longtime friends weren’t fully aware of what was happening.’
Keaton’s death was followed by emotional statements from Hollywood stalwarts such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Bette Midler, Francis Ford Coppola and a host of others.
DiCaprio called the Oscar-winning star ‘brilliant, funny and unapologetically herself,’ adding that ‘she will be deeply missed.’
Middler said of Keaton, ‘She was hilarious, a complete original, and completely without guile, or any of the competitiveness one would have expected from such a star. What you saw was who she was…oh, la, lala!’
The Godfather director Coppola said in an Instagram post, ‘Words can’t express the wonder and talent of Diane Keaton.’
The Oscar-winning filmmaker added, ‘Endlessly intelligent, so beautiful…Everything about Diane was creativity personified.’
Keaton had spent some time this year picking up the pieces from the wildfires that ravaged Southern California in January. Pictured 2019 in Las Vegas
The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970’s hailed as the decade’s best, including the titular role in the 1977 comedy Annie Hall
The actress leaves behind an amazing legacy in Hollywood, with some of her performances in the 1970’s hailed as the decade’s best.
They included the titular role in the 1977 comedy Annie Hall, which was written and directed by Woody Allen, who she collaborated with on a number of memorable projects.
Keaton in 1978 would claim the Best Actress in a Leading Role award for her work in Annie Hall, her first of four lifetime nominations.
She would also receive nods for her work in movies such as 1981’s Reds, 1996’s Marvin’s Room and 2003’s Something’s Gotta Give.
Other notable movies Keaton performed in throughout her decades-long career included 1987’s Baby Boom; 1996’s The First Wives Club; and the Father of the Bride films in 1991 and 1995.
